Forty-seven years ago, Hate Took This Man From Us

In memoriam, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., 15 January 1929 – 04 April 1968, the person who inspires all that is good in me, and whose legacy I hope to honor one day.

Update: I published this too soon. At this time of year, when people around the world commemorate the revelatory and saving faith of a captive population in a land not their own, commemorating the promise of a great peacekeeper who, many believe, overcame death itself to offer a new opportunity to the poor, the meek, the sick; to honor those who confronted power fearlessly in the spirit of the season — one of rebirth and renewal — to offer to all — all — women and men a view of a future in which all are created equal: let us honor that promise proclaimed by Dr. King, among many.

“We are saying that we are God’s children… We don’t have to live like we are forced to live. …We’ve got to stay together. We’ve got to stay together and maintain unity.” —Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the day before he was assassinated by James Earl Ray.